Our navy in time of war (1861-1915)

Front matter

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PPLETONS' H READING BOO i I

Preface

The deeds of the navy of the United States have been ever glorious. That part of them related in these pages, covering the period from 1861 to 1915, has been selected not because there was greater glory in the deeds of the American navy in the civil war and in the war with Spain than in the earlier days of the service, but chiefly because the types of vessels and of guns now in general use throughout the world were begun and developed in part in the American civil war. The armor, the turreted battle ship, the swift cruiser, the rifled guns of to-day were the direct outgrowth of the civil war. Tlie wooden war ship and the smooth-bore guns were doomed as the result of that conflict. The battle ship of 1915 is simply the turreted monitor and the armored battle ship of 1863 combined and improved. The men of to-day, though just as brave, are no whit braver than the men of the Revolutionary war or the War of 1812.

Not all the details of the work of the navy in the years covered by this book are given here. An atxvi OUR NAVY IN TIME OF WAR.

tempt has been made to tell the story of the chief events, and to bring out their significance, especially for young readers. The book is intended also to interest those who never grow old or feeble in patriotism, and who are proud of American prowess on the seas, whether they be sixteen or three-score and ten, or even older.

The terms North and South are used instead of Federal and Confederate because they are simpler, and because they are in common use in speech regarding the civil war.

The South had almost no navy in that war. So far as it did have one, it was creditable to the zeal and courage of those who fought in its war ships. What greater compliment can be paid to the South than to say that the men in its ships fought with true American bravery to the last?

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. — The famous Monitor 1

II. — First fight between ironclads .... 19